FEATURE
Sleuk Rith Institute Phnom Penh, Cambodia OPENing TBC
S
leuk’s founder, Youk Chhang, explains: “We were keen to create a forward-looking institution that deviates from the distress-invoking, quasi-industrial harshness of most existing genocide memorial models. This is not to criticize or denigrate such models but, instead, to emphasize that in light of Cambodia’s rich cultural and religious traditions, we must move in a different and more positively-oriented direction.”
138 ATTRACTIONS HANDBOOK 2015-2016
A human rights activist and a prisoner under the Khmer Rouge regime during his teenage years, Chhang clearly envisions Sleuk Rith as a dynamic public space where new generations of Cambodians and international visitors can contemplate the Khmer Rouge era of genocide and so be enlightened to move the country towards a more positive future. In recognition of this spirit, Zaha Hadid’s design encompasses five wooden structures that start out separately at ground level, before interweaving as they rise upwards. The structure comprises the actual Institute; a library holding the largest collection of genocide-related material in SE Asia; a graduate school focusing on genocide, conflicts and
Hadid’s inspired design features five separate wooden structures that interweave as each rises upwards
human rights; a research centre to influence policies; and a media centre and auditorium. Each aspect is independent but interdependently connected. Sleuk will be encircled by a huge memorial park for the wider community, with sports fields, urban vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. Traditional meadows and a forest will also house contemporary Cambodian sculptures, many commemorating the women that helped to rebuild this incredible country. n www.attractionshandbook.com